Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information VendTheWeb collects when you visit vendtheweb.com or contact us, what we do with it, and what rights you have. VendTheWeb is operated by Chris Reed as a sole proprietorship based in Effingham, Illinois, United States. Plain English, no dark patterns.

Short version: we collect the info you hand us via the contact form, we use it to talk to you about Shopify work, and we don't sell it or share it with anyone who doesn't need it to run the business.

1. What Information We Collect

Information You Give Us Directly

When you request a store audit or send a project inquiry through our site, we collect:

• Name (so we know who we're talking to)
• Email address (so we can reply)
• Store or marketplace link (required for an audit; optional for a project inquiry)
• Services of interest, project notes, and phone number (optional on a project inquiry)

If you sign up for a course update, we collect the email address you provide for that purpose.

If you book an intro call, we collect your name, email, selected time, and any phone number, store link, services, or notes you provide. We use this information to arrange and manage the call and send booking or change confirmations.

If you complete the separate project intake questionnaire, we also collect the business, product, and store details you provide, plus any files you choose to upload.

We also collect any information you send us over email, on a call, or during a project engagement (messages, files, store access credentials, etc.).

Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit the site, our hosting provider and analytics tooling may record standard technical data such as your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, referrer, and approximate location. This is standard web traffic metadata.

Cookies & Analytics

We use a minimal set of cookies and similar technologies to run the site and understand traffic patterns. We don't use advertising cookies and we don't build advertising profiles.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. The site will still work. We honor Global Privacy Control signals where applicable.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use what you give us to:

• Reply to your inquiry and schedule a call
• Prepare a proposal, SOW, or quote tailored to your situation
• Deliver services you've hired us for
• Send invoices and keep tax/accounting records as required by law
• Improve the site and understand which content is useful
• Send occasional follow-ups if we've been in touch before (you can opt out any time)

We do not sell your personal information, and we don't use it to train AI models or share it with ad networks.

3. Who We Share Your Information With

By default: nobody. We don't rent, sell, or trade your personal information.

We do use a small set of trusted service providers to actually run the business, which may process your data on our behalf:

• Email & calendar — for replying to you and scheduling calls
• Website hosting & analytics — to serve the site and count visits
• Payment processor — to collect and record payments for invoices
• Accounting software — for bookkeeping and tax filings
• Shopify — when we're given access as a collaborator on your store during an engagement

Each of these providers has their own privacy practices and only gets what they need to do their job.

We may also share information if required by law (subpoena, court order, regulator request) or to protect our legal rights. If our business is ever sold or transferred, customer information may transfer with it, but any new owner would have to honor this Privacy Policy for your existing data.

4. How Long We Keep Your Information

• Contact form inquiries — kept for up to 2 years so we can follow up, then deleted if no project results.
• Active client records — kept for the length of the engagement plus 7 years for accounting/tax purposes.
• Website analytics — aggregated traffic data kept for up to 26 months.

You can ask us to delete sooner — see below.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We use reasonable, industry-standard safeguards: encrypted connections (HTTPS), password managers, two-factor authentication on business accounts, and least-privilege access (we don't keep Shopify admin access after a project ends unless you want us to). No system is 100% secure, but we take this seriously.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your information (subject to legal retention requirements like tax records)
• Opt out of any non-essential communication
• Object to certain types of processing

If you're a California resident, you have the specific rights under the CCPA/CPRA (including the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights). We don't sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

If you're in the EU/UK, you have the rights granted under the GDPR/UK GDPR. Our lawful bases for processing are consent, contract performance, and legitimate interests in running a small business.

To exercise any of these rights, email chris@vendtheweb.com with "Privacy Request" in the subject line. We'll respond within 30 days.

7. Children

This site is for business use and is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have, email us and we'll delete it.

8. International Visitors

We operate from the United States. If you're visiting from outside the US, your information will be processed in the US, where data protection rules may be different from those where you live.

9. Third-Party Links

Our site may link to third-party sites (portfolio links, social media, partner stores). We're not responsible for their privacy practices. Check their own policies before sharing info with them.

10. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes, we'll update the "Effective date" at the top and, if the change is significant, let you know by email if we have it. Small edits (like fixing a typo or adding a new service provider in the same category) won't be announced.

11. Contact for Privacy Requests

Questions, concerns, or privacy requests? Email:

Chris Reed — VendTheWeb
chris@vendtheweb.com
Effingham, Illinois, USA

Put "Privacy Request" in the subject line so it doesn't get lost in the inbox.